Welcome to the Little Shop of Horrors
Welcome to The Little Shop of Horrors is a 3-issue comic book adaptation of the 1960 film, released in 1995 by Roger Corman's Cosmic Comics, a short-lived endeavor by the renowned director/producer. Unlike D.C.'s one-shot comic adaptation of the 1986 movie musical, the character designs are based on the actors from the film, and it follows Charles B. Griffith's screenplay closely - although the spelling of Gravis Mushnick's name is "Mushnik," as in the musical. Each issue also includes a 2-page "Behind the Scenes" feature, as well as a comedic single-page original story chronicling the further exploits of the characters. Issue #1 Plot Seymour is on the verge of losing his job at Mr. Mushnik's flower shop, but he gets a brief reprieve when he presents a strange flytrap that he's been growing, which everyone assures Mr. Mushnik will bring business into the store. Named Audrey, Jr. after a coworker whom Seymour has a crush on, he soon discovers the plant thrives on blood and swells in size after each meal. Things go from strange to downright bizarre when the plant begins talking to him, demanding more blood than Seymour can offer. In a serendipitous twist, Seymour witnesses a wino get killed by a train, so he brings the body back and feeds it to the plant. Unfortunately, a disbelieving Mr. Mushnik arrives just in time to see Jr. gulping down his meal and can't seem to comprehend what he's secretly witnessing. The next morning, Mushnik is grappling with the decision to call the police when he sees that the plant has become enormous, and there's a crowd which has gathered in the shop to see the heretofore unknown flora. Additional Sections The "Behind the Scenes" column chronicles the making of the comic book in humorous detail. The "Seymour & Audrey Jr." strip is entitled "Survival of the Fittest," and features Seymour refusing to give his blood to Jr... who finds a sneaky way of obtaining it. Issue #2 Plot Audrey Jr. has brought in so much business to Mr. Mushnik's shop that he decides to turn a blind eye to the plant's unusual eating habits. Seymour visits the dentist to deal with an abscessed tooth, but when the Dr. Farb comes at his mouth with a drill, Seymour overreacts and pushes Farb away, accidentally impaling the doc, who dies instantly. At that moment, patient Wilbur force arrives for his appointment, and assumes Seymour is the dentist. After shoddily hiding the doc's body, Seymour reluctant performs oral surgery. The next morning, Audrey is so smitten with Seymour for the namesake plant that she agrees to have dinner with him. Moments later, the cops arriving asking questions about Dr. Farb, but Mr. Mushnik politely gives them the brush off. Their departure is followed by the arrival of Miss Fishtwanger, announces that she'll return the next evening to award Seymour a botanical prize. As Seymour has an uncomfortable dinner with Audrey and his mother, Mr. Mushnik decides to plant-sit and hears Audrey Junior speaking for the first time. When a burglar breaks into the shop and puts a gun in his face, Gravis tells him that he keeps money inside the plant, which provides Junior with his next meal. The next morning, Audrey Junior has tripled in size once again. Additional Sections The single-page strip is "Mushnik & Son featuring L'il Audrey, Junior" in the story "A Family Affair." Junior causes a rift between Seymour and his new "dad." The "Behind the Scenes section features an interview with Jonathan Haze (Seymour), who briefly touches on the movie, his acting career, and his later career behind-the-scenes at a commercial production company. Issue #3 Junior hypnotizes Seymour, who brings the plant a prostitute to eat. Later, the press arrives to see Miss Fishtwanger present Seymour with a botanical prize, but they're horrified when Junior's bulbs open, revealing the faces of all its victims. With police hot on his trail, Seymour goes on the run, but he returns to the shop to destroy Junior... instead becoming his latest meal. Additional Sections The single-page strip is Seymour & Audrey, Jr. in the story "Beet-Nick." A beatnik pizza boy is entranced by Junior's ability to speak. The "Behind the Scenes" section features an interview with Mel Welles. Gallery Welcome to The Little Shop of Horrors -1 (03).jpg External Links *Internet Archive Category:Little Shop Of Horrors Category:Merchandise Category:Books